1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a laser processing apparatus that uses ultrashort laser pulses for materials processing with micron-level precision. The laser processing system allows for active control and optimization of the laser/material interaction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Femtosecond lasers offer several unique advantages over lasers of longer pulse duration. In particular, their ultrashort pulse duration makes it possible to produce extremely high target intensities with relatively low pulse energy. The high target intensities, in conjunction with ultrashort pulse duration, enable precise micron-level materials processing with minimal and/or manageable heat transfer to the target substrate per pulse. It is possible to take unique advantage of this latter property by controlling the rate of laser impact upon the target substrate. However, for optimal and practical application of the unique properties of femtosecond lasers, a laser processing system is required, which integrates and coordinates the following: laser operations, beam manipulation, target positioning and processing environment. The laser processing system must also provide real-time process monitoring. This integration is very crucial to achieve the best possible processing results for a given application that uses the laser processing system. Also, from a practical standpoint, a well controlled, modular and flexible laser processing system is crucial to process a variety of materials.